Vehicle Electric Container (VEC)

On this page, the resources and documentations for all VEC versions can be found.

Which documents are distributed for a VEC version depends on the type of release. The following release types are used and are reflected in the version numbering pattern:

Major Releases

Theses releases are normally integrating a significant amount of changes. They can be identified in a change of the first or second digit of the version number (e.g. 1.1 vs. 1.0). These releases are always accompanied by the release of a new version of the VDA Recommendation.

Bugfix and Feature Releases

Bugfix and Feature Releases are published in between the major releases. They are used to allow a timely
response on feature requests and bug reports, especially from ongoing implementation projects. These releases
can be published more frequently, since such releases have a more lean process.

Distributed Documents

For each Version several documents are distributed:

VDA Recommendation (only for Major Releases)

An updated Model Description (Online and/or as PDF): This description is contained in the VDA Recommendation.

XML Schema Files: There are always two schema variants distributed. One variant defining OpenEnumerations as String values and a strict variant, where the OpenEnuermations are defined as schema restrictions. For more information about the OpenEnumerations see the corresponding chapter in the VDA Recommendation.

Schematron-Schema: From version 1.1.3 onwards the project group is publishing an additional schematron schema. This schema defines additional constraints that can not be defined in an XML Schema. These constraints are part of the VEC Specification and the compliance with them is mandatory for a valid VEC file. For the usage of the schematron schema see the Schematron Validation How To.

Implementation Guidelines / Tutorials

From VEC Version 1.1.3 on, the Implementation Guidelines (a.k.a Tutorials) will no longer be published as a versioned single document, but as a collection of pages in this WIKI for specific topics. The intention of this is to provide tutorials / implementation guidelines for specific topics within a shorter timeframe. The entrypoint for the Tutorials can be found here: VEC Implementation Guidelines

Version History

Version 1.1.3

This version brings features in the area of electrical design (especially new semantics for the 3 layers (Net, Connection, and Wiring Specification). Additionally there are a lot of small improvements, mainly new attributes, for the description of components and new OpenEnumerations. For detailed release notes see VEC JIRA Release Notes.

On the technical side there have been two improvements as well:

The schema is now published with the documentation from the model for classes and attributes embedded in the schema (<xs:documentation/>). An undocumented version of the schemas is published as well, mainly to allow an easy comparison with older versions.

Beside the XML Schema Definition there is now also an Schematron schema with additional semantic constraints. The rules in the Schematron schema will become mandatory in future versions. For version 1.1.3 the Schematron schema can be considered to have BETA status.

For this version no new specification document will be published. An updated and extended version of the tutorials will be published on a later date.

Version 1.1.2

This version brings features introduced in KBL 2.4 to the VEC. Additionally it also implements feature requests and bug fixes brought up during the first implementations in the area of component descriptions. For detailed release notes see VEC JIRA Release Notes. For this version no new specification document will be published.